Specific exercises to structure the counter-attack of
Handball in the Cuban women's national team

Pedro Andrés Contreras Alfonso1*, Jorge Coll Arencibia 2, Jorge Abundio González Pascual 3

1 Central University “Marta Abreu” of L
as Villas. Faculty of Physical Culture,
pcontreras@uclv.cu

Orcid:
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6757-4875
2 Higher School for the Training of High-Performance
Athletes “Cerro Pelado”, Havana. Orcid:
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5940-6038
3 Central University
“Marta Abreu” of Las Villas. Faculty of Physical Culture. Orcid:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3357-
074X

*Corresponding author: pcontreras@uclv.cu

Abstract

As the culmination of studies in the High-Performance Handball Specialization, this research aims to
structure the counterattack in the Cuban Women's National Handball Team, given its international
importance. Based on deficiencies identified during observations of the 2017 Caribbean Cup and the
2021
Cali
Pan
American
Youth
Games,
the
objective
is
to
propose
position-specific
exercises
to
structure the team's counterattack. To diagnose the team's current state of the counterattack, methods
such as scientific observation, interviews, and surveys were used. Brainstorming was employed to
gather the coaches' key ideas for developing the exercises that fulfill the objective. Through expert
review,
positive
results
were
obtained,
with
the
proposal
being
deemed
necessary,
relevant,
and
innovative in its approach to tactical preparation for the counterattack, distributed across different
positions to structure it within the women's national team and achieve improved results.

Keywords:
Handball, counterattack, drills.

Introduction

Indoor handball is categorized, for several reasons, as one of the most dynamic sports, classified as a
sport
of
cooperation
and
opposition
where
possession
of
the
ball
determines
the
execution
of
coordinated
actions
with
teammates
to
achieve
the
objective
of
scoring
a
goal,
overcoming
the
defensive actions of the opposing team that tries to prevent it (Hernández et al., 2021).

In
indoor
handball,
experts
identify
three
fundamental
actions:
possession
of
the
ball
(attack),
possession
of
the
ball
by
the
opponent
(defense),
and
the
change
of
possession
(transition).
Depending on whether or not the ball is in play, the four phases of handball can be observed, as
described by various authors such as Román (2016), Jiménez et al.
(2020), and Alvarado (2021).
These are positional attack, positional defense, defensive retreat, and the counterattack, which is the
focus of this research.

1

The counterattack is an attacking phase characterized by high speed of execution that begins
with defensive and continuous actions to recover the ball, move it into attacking zones, and
achieve an advantageous shooting position before the opposing team can organize its defense.
All
of
this
occurs
in
a
short
period
of
time,
where
the
coordinated
actions
of
the
team
members guarantee the optimal use of the counterattack's sub-phases to achieve the positive
result of scoring a goal. (Contreras, 2024, p. 88).

Several authors, such as Salvat (2016), Román (2016), and Ruiz et al. (2017), define the sub-phases
of
the
counter-attack:
ball
recovery,
first
wave,
second
wave,
and
third
wave.
In
Oliver's
(2004)
Olympic Solidarity Course, in topic XII entitled "The Counter-Attack," the positions of the players
during
a
counter-attack
are
defined:
the
goalkeeper,
the
fast
players,
the
playmaker,
the
second
playmaker, and the supporting players. The distribution of responsibilities for each of these positions
in each sub-phase of the counter-attack is also defined. Thus, the counter-attack is structured in an
organized
manner.
This
structure
is
the
most
widely
used
today,
which
contributes
to
its
current
development.

A study by Oliver (2003), based on a comparative analysis of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and
the 2003 Men's World Championship in Portugal, demonstrates that the dynamics of handball play
are evolving towards an increase in counter-attack actions. In line with this, research by Rogulj et al.
(2004) indicates that teams worldwide are using counter-attacks more frequently and effectively.

However, the Cuban women's national team struggles with counterattacks. This has resulted in less
than satisfactory performances, as evidenced by their results in several international events, such as
the
2017
Caribbean
Cup
and
the
2021
Pan
American
Youth
Games
in
Cali.
These
events
demonstrate a lack of mastery of the counterattack phase, where the players' counterattacks appear
unstructured.

In the search for information on this topic, a literature review was conducted, analyzing authors such
as Jiménez (2001) in his study "The Structuring of the Collective Counterattack, One Step Further."
Jiménez presents a historical analysis of the counterattack, noting the contributions of other sports to
its development. He then proposes a structured counterattack, offering methodological alternatives
for its implementation. However, this proposal is based on the counterattack strategy employed by

2

the
USSR
team
in
the
late
1980s,
adapting
the
system's
configuration
to
a
specific
team
with
characteristics different from those of the team under study.

Jiménez
et
al.
(2020),
in
their
research,
focus
on
key
categories
related
to
ball
recovery,
ball
movement, and the completion of the counterattack. This study provided valuable data but did not
offer
a
solution
to
the
problem.
Similarly,
Cordovés
et
al.
(2020)
conducted
a
study
on
tactical
learning
in
handball,
providing
percentages
of
effectiveness
for
counterattacks
compared
to
positional play in learning the action. However, their system of actions does not consider the sub-
phases
for
teaching
the
counterattack,
revealing
a
gap
in
the
actions
and
positions
necessary
for
structuring the counterattack.

In
the
case
of
Bailes
(2022),
he
presents
a
methodology
for
teaching
handball
with
the
aim
of
demonstrating its superiority over the traditional methodology, as it engages handball players more,
allowing them to learn while having fun. However, his system of actions for teaching counterattacks
does not offer guidance on working through the sub-phases or the individual actions required for
their structure.

Taking into account all the elements expressed above, the objective of the research is to: propose
specific
exercises
by
position
to
structure
the
counterattack
of
Handball
in
the
Cuban
Women's
National Team.

Materials and methods

For this study, a population of 3 handball coaches from the Women's National Team was used, as
they are the ones who work directly with the team under study. A second population of 20 players
from this team, who are part of the national team preparing to participate in various international
events, was also included.

The
exercises
were
developed
with
a
third
group
of
six
coaches
from
the
"Cerro
Pelado"
High-
Performance Athlete Training School and the researchers. A sample of five handball specialists was

3

also consulted; their years of experience, academic level, and workplace were sufficient to provide
conclusive assessments of the problem and offer recommendations.

The following requirements were taken into account for the selection of specialists:

The following methods were used in the development of the investigation:

Analytical-synthetic:
made
it
possible
to
conduct
an
evaluative
study
of
the
bibliography
that
addresses the topic and in particular that directly related to counterattacks in Handball.

Inductive-deductive:
it
facilitated
delving
deeper
into
the
theory
and
making
inferences
and
generalizations from the research by expressing coincidences or divergences in relation to the studies
of other authors or as a result of the application of other research methods.

Brainstorming: This allowed us to obtain the fundamental ideas from the coaches participating in the
workshops, in the development of the exercises for structuring the counterattack.

Scientific observation allowed for the assessment of the subjects' performance in carrying out their
duties. To measure the effectiveness variable in the team under study, the observation protocol used
by Contreras and González (2023) was employed.

The
survey
was
administered
to
coaches
to
assess
their
preparedness
to
lead
the
sports
training
process focused on structuring the counter-attack in modern handball. It
was also administered to
players to assess their knowledge of the counter-attack.

4

The
interview:
these
were
applied
to
coaches
and
players
to
compare
or
enrich
the
information
obtained through other tools.

Expert
opinion:
It
provided
the
opportunity
to
learn
the
critical
opinion
and
evaluation
of
the
proposal for its future practical application.

Methodology for the development of the exercises

A working group was formed to develop the exercises, comprised of the six coaches from the "Cerro
Pelado"
High-Performance
Athlete
Training
School
and
the
researchers.
The
group
met
in
a
workshop to characterize the treatment of the content for different positions during a counterattack
and to determine the characteristics of the exercises, thus enabling the organization of the content for
these positions during the counterattack.

The workshop began with brainstorming, where participants shared all their proposed solutions. This
was
followed
by
a
list
reduction
technique
to
identify
the
most
effective
ideas
and
achieve
the
objective.
Finally,
exercises
were
developed
to
structure
the
counterattack
strategy
for
the
Cuban
Women's National Handball Team.

Results and discussion

In conducting the diagnostic study, surveys were administered to coaches and handball players of the
team
under
study
to
determine
the
current
state
of
the
team's
counterattack,
the
fundamental
methodological aspects applied during the sports training process, and the potential of the training
process itself. Interviews were also conducted to enrich the information obtained from the surveys.
Through scientific observation, the researchers analyzed five training games to assess the players'
performance
and
measure
the
absolute
effectiveness
of
the
counterattack
within
the
team
under
study.

The diagnosis performed on the equipment under study found that:

5

To develop the exercises, the six handball coaches meet under the guidance of the researchers, who
act as facilitator and recorder. The facilitator presents the scenario, encourages, and guides the group
to
contribute
ideas.
Any
number
of
ideas
are
allowed,
whether
opposing,
complementary,
or
improved, while allowing for critique or evaluation. The recorder writes the ideas on a whiteboard.

List reduction is established by the following steps:

  1. 1.
    Clarify: The recorder lists all the options sequentially. The facilitator guides the clarification
    process with the help of the rest of the group.
  2. 2.
    Elimination: the facilitator proposes to analyze whether there are repeated points or points
    that can be combined with others without altering the essence of the content.
  3. 3.
    Voting: This is done based on the preferences of the group members and may require several
    rounds. The least favored options are not discarded, but marked as not selected, so that they
    can be revisited if necessary.

Finally, a set of position-specific exercises was developed to structure the counterattack for the team
under study. The structure adopted for the exercises is that used by Contreras (2024), which includes
the exercise name, the objective, the exercise description, the work method, the execution variations,
the exercise diagram, and the methodological guidelines for implementation.

The
classification
provided
by
Navelo
et
al.
(2025)
is
also
used,
which
employs
modeled
development exercises using the variable modeling method. Furthermore, methodological guidelines
are
provided
to
coaches
for
future
implementation.
The
following
exercises
were
ultimately
proposed.

6

Specific
exercises
by
position
to
structure
the
counter-attack
of
Handball in the Cuban women's national team

Goalkeeper exercise (development modeling).

Name: goalkeepers to goal.

Objective: to shoot at the goal with a parabola to avoid the intervention of the opposing goalkeeper.

Starting position: Goalkeeper of team A with the ball in their goal area. Goalkeeper of team B in
their defensive half outside the 9-meter line.

Description: Goalkeeper A shoots a parabolic shot towards the opposing goal. Only after the ball
leaves goalkeeper A's hand can goalkeeper B cross the 9-meter line to defend their goal. Then the
roles are reversed.

Method: variable modeling.

Key
point:
the
serve
or
throw
must
have
the
correct
speed
and
trajectory
to
beat
the
opposing
goalkeeper.

Variant: the defending goalkeeper positions himself closer to his goal because this time he does not
use the 9-meter line, instead he uses the 6-meter line.

Figure 1. Graphic and symbology of the goalkeepers to goal exercise

Methodological
instructions:
the
exercise
can
be
carried
out
inside
or
outside
the
training
unit,
always in the form of a game the goalkeepers compete to see who scores the most goals.

Exercise for goalkeepers and fast players (development modeling).

Name: Anticipation and Pass.

7

Objectives:
To
make
quick
and
accurate
passes
to
initiate
a
counter-attack
(Goalkeepers).
To
anticipate the shot with forward movement to initiate a counter-attack (Sprinters).

Starting
position:
goalkeeper
in
their
defensive
area.
Two
players
acting
as
goalkeepers
are
positioned on the center line. Fast players in defensive positions, each marking a stationary pivot.
Several attacking players circulate the ball at a height of 12 to 14 meters.

Description: One attacking player receives the ball while moving, takes three steps, and jumps, either
shooting at the goalkeeper's chest or passing to a teammate. If the shot is taken at the goalkeeper,
they stop the ball and quickly pass it to one of the goalposts. The faster players must move out of
position before the jump shot to reach the post before the ball. If the ball is passed to a teammate, the
faster players must quickly return to defense, as after a second pass, the pivots can receive the ball
and shoot. After the counter-attack, the drill continues with a new ball and the addition of other faster
players.

Method: variable modeling.

Key
point:
Goalkeepers
must
ensure
the
accuracy
of
the
pass.
Fast
players
must
anticipate
the
passer's movement to make the necessary adjustments.

Variations:
To
increase
the
difficulty
for
fast
players,
the
ball
is
thrown
to
the
goalkeeper
while
jumping, using a single step for momentum. The goalkeeper then takes a running shot, using the
support of the ball as quickly as possible. For the goalkeeper, shots are initially to the sides and then
aimed at the goal. Finally, the goalposts are removed, and the goalkeeper's passes (medium and long
distances) are incorporated to the fast players, who execute different finishing moves (1 vs 0; 1 vs 1;
2 vs 1; 2 vs 2). After each shot, regardless of the outcome, the players retreat to their initial defensive
positions.

Figure 2. Graphic and symbology of the anticipation and pass exercise

8

Methodological
guidelines:
It
is
recommended
that
the
coach
determine
the
optimal
shooting
moments to manage work and rest periods for fast players. The distance between the posts can be
adjusted depending on the team's characteristics, as long as anticipation is essential for fast players to
reach the post in time. Fast players are allowed to intercept the ball before reaching the post without
slowing
down.
For
drills
without
a
post
and
with
various
finishing
techniques,
it
is
necessary
to
define the objectives and other conditions to ensure the methodology required for these exercises is
effective.

Exercise for directors and support staff (development modeling).

Name: ball control.

Objective: to safely control the ball through passes and receptions to facilitate the rapid arrival of the
counter-attack to the shooting zones.

Starting position: Team A with 1 goalkeeper and 2 defenders. From Team B, 1 attacking player with
the ball and another player in their defensive half.

Description:
The
player
with
the
ball
shoots
at
the
goal,
initiating
a
2
vs
1
counter-attack
with
defenders in a confined space. The player who shot defends up to the center line, and their teammate
defends from the center line to the 6-meter line. After the shot, regardless of the result, both teams
retreat to their initial defensive positions.

Method: variable modeling.

Key
emphasis:
Passing
and
receiving
should
be
prioritized
for
ball
control,
aided
by
different
movements to create space. Dribbling should be used as a last resort.

Variations: Initiate the counter-attack with throw-ins or throw-ins from different areas of the playing
field, simulating fouls. 3 vs 2 counter-attack with defenders in tight spaces, 2 defenders on each side
of the court. And 4 vs 3 counter-attack with defenders in tight spaces, 3 defenders on each side of the
court.

9

Figure 3. Graphic and symbology of the ball dribbling exercise

Methodological guidelines: ensure the correct use of passes. When initiating a counter-attack with
throw-ins or throw-ins from different areas of the playing field, the goalkeeper must leave their area
to support their teammates; the throw-in is taken by whoever is closest to the ball.

Position-specific
exercises
were
implemented
during
training
sessions,
which
consisted
of
performing the exercises during the Special Preparation Phase. These exercises were applied over
eight
weeks,
in
forty
training
sessions
where
30
minutes
of
each
session
were
dedicated
to
their
application.

This
resulted
in
a
total
of
720
minutes
spent
on
the
exercises.
It
was
important
to
achieve
the
objectives
of
each
exercise
in
order
to
increase
its
complexity
or
move
on
to
the
next
one.
The
measurement of the dependent variable (counterattack effectiveness) was taken before and after the
implementation of the proposed strategy.

This measurement was carried out as follows: during five matches, as in the first phase. To ensure
the reliability of the collected data, the observation was performed by the same group of specialists,
and it was guaranteed that the matches in the first and second phases were played against the same
opponents.

The organization and collection of data was carried out directly, supported by an observation guide.
This entire process took place in real game situations with referees and applying the official rules of
the National Handball Federation.

Since the population coincides with the sample, the same input and output instruments can be used.
Comparing the results with the initial test (which was enriched as the specific exercises were applied)
revealed a qualitative change in the criteria used.

Expert opinion

10

The proposal was evaluated using expert criteria. These experts were sent a copy of the results to be
assessed and a survey to gather their feedback. Regarding the relevance of the exercise organization
in relation to the stated objectives, 80% of the selected experts considered them highly relevant, and
20%
considered
them
relevant.
They
also
acknowledged
the
positive
aspects
of
the
proposed
exercises,
demonstrating
the
practical
importance
of
addressing
counterattacks
from
different
positions.

The
specialists
surveyed
(100%)
expressed
positive
assessments
of
the
need
for
its
practical
application in team training due to the formal quality of the exercises, highlighting the aspects related
to
the
relationship
between
tactical
demands
and
tactical
content
with
tactical
situations
and
the
treatment by positions of the counterattack.

Furthermore, these criteria coincide (100%) with respect to the fact that the exercises contribute to
the solution of the deficiencies present in the treatment of the tactical preparation of the handball
player,
given
that
fundamentally
it
allows
the
development
of
the
tactical
preparation
of
the
counterattack taking into consideration the individual characteristics of the different positions which
makes said process more objective.

When
assessing
the
originality
of
the
exercises,
100%
of
the
specialists
considered
them
highly
original. This is based on their appreciation for the novel
approach to tactical preparation for the
counterattack, distributed across different positions for its structuring. As a final consideration, they
recommend using the exercises for evaluating and classifying players when
defining the positions
they should assume in the counterattack.

Conclusions

The need for specific exercises by position in the team under study is confirmed due to the effects on
the counterattack evaluated as regular with an absolute effectiveness of 28.87%.

The
specific
exercises
for
each
position
proposed
were
developed
according
to
the
criteria
of
Contreras (2024) and Navelo et al. (2025), giving preference to collective work in the manipulation
of the ball in each of the positions.

11

The
specialists
provided
positive
feedback
when
assessing
the
proposal,
considering
it
necessary,
relevant, and innovative in its approach to tactical preparation for counterattacks, distributed across
different positions for structuring the attack.

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